Self supporting knitted lady{40 s stocking

ABSTRACT

A self-supporting knitted lady&#39;&#39;s stocking having an outwardly turned, non-rolling welt and two spaced annular bands of elastic fabric at the top, at least one elastic band being within the welt area, and both bands having internally exposed, non-slip elastic yarn floats adapted to contact and grip the leg of the wearer.

nited States Patent 1191 Nebelet al.

[4s] May 1, 1973 SELF SUPPORTING KNITTED LADY'S STOCKING [76] Inventors: Max Bruno Nebel, Andreas-Schluter Strasse 18, Wiesbaden; Erhard Max Nebel, Wilhelmstrasse, Hettenhain, both of Germany [22] Filed: Apr. 28, 1971 21 Appl. N11; 138,319

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation of 561:. No, 763,098, Sept. 27, 1968,

abandoned.

[52] US. Cl. ..66/172 E [51] Int. Cl. ..D04b 9/46 [58] Field of Search ..66/170-173 5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,254,509 6/1966 Tenconi ..66/41 3,122,906 3/1964 Crawford ..66/172 2,953,003 19/1960 Crawford ..66/41 1,843,086 1/1932 Lawson ..66/173 2,349,746 5/1944 Morris et a1... ..66/172 2,977,782 4/1961 Sheek ..66/173 3,098,369 7/1963 Burleson et ..66/178 3,392,553 7/1968 Burleson ..66/172 Primary Examiner-Ronald F eldbaum Attorney-Paul & Paul 5 7 ABSTRACT A self-supporting knitted ladys stocking having an outwardly turned, non-rolling welt and two spaced annular bands of elastic fabric at the top, at least one elastic band being within the welt area, and both bands having internally exposed, non-slip elastic yarn floats adapted to contact and grip the leg of the wearer.

5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures Patented May 1, 1973 I 2 Sheets-Shut 1 ,"l/we/vroks Max BRUNO was:

211,490 MAX M5861 Jar I ATTORNEYS SELF SUPPORTING KNITTED LADY-'S STOCKING This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 763,098 now abandoned.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Stockings are presently constructed so that they can be worn without requiring garters. Such stockings usually include a band which is provided on the side bearing on the leg with an elastic material such as rubber having a sufficient elasticity and size to prevent the stocking from sliding down the wearers leg. It has alsobeen suggested that an uncovered crude rubber thread be incorporated into the hose partly in single loops and partly in several loops as a flat thread portion so that slipping of the hose is prevented on the leg bearing side of the material by the elastic yarns adhering to t employing a non-slip material such as uncovered elastic. yarn which is incorporated into. the surface of the fabric layer of the double welt which bears on the skin a required width. Thesenon-slip threads are preferably incorporated into the courses in a manner such that they are knit in selected wales and floated across selected intervening wales of each or selected courses to form floats. Such a stockingis obtained by providing it with a double hem or welt in whichthe normal. inside is arranged on the exterior more particularly referred to by those skilled in the. art as an outwardly turned welt. See U.S. Pat. No. 3,254,509. The surface of the fabric layer of the welt which bears on the leg and, if desired, either a portion or an entirearea of an adjoin ing part of the stocking is provided on the leg bearing side with a slip-proof material, such as elastic yarn,

which is exposed over several loops in the course. In

order to achieve additional security against rolling of the welt edge, a material zone .which is not provided with the non-slip yarn is provided adjacent the upper welt edge to interrupt the surface which is provided with the elastic yarn.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a stocking constructionin which a non-slip yam such as bare rubber is worked into the welt to bear against the skin of the wearer and whereinthe double welt is formed by a construction in whichthe normal inside thereof is arranged on the exterior( an outwardly turned welt), the adjoining part of the stocking also consisting of a material preferably havinga non-slip yarn forming coursewise and walewisespaced floats on t the leg bearing side of the fabric layer adjacent the leg of the wearer.

A furtherobject of the invention is to provide a stocking construction which is simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For abetter understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accopmanying drawings and descriptivematter in which there'are illustratedand described preferred embodiments of the invention;

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows the upper portion of afull-length selfsupportingknitted lady's stocking of this invention having an outwardly turned welt D, the inner fabric layer of the welt being designated'D', and the outer fabric layer being designated D. The lower or boot portion of the stocking adjacent the welt is designated S. The designation L indicates the outside of the stocking and R designates the inside of the stocking,which contacts the leg of the wearer. The outwardly turned welt may be formed by the method and apparatus disclosed in Tenconi U.S. Pat. No. 3,254,509.

A non-slip elastic yarn Fgsuch as: barerubber or bare spandex yarn, is incorporated intothe'stocking fabric, bothzin thetinner fabric layer D of the welt and also in the boot portion S below the welt. The non slip elastic yarn .F is incorporated or bound into spaced wales of the stocking-fabric and floated across the intervening wales, with the elastic yarn floats exposed on the inner surface R of the stocking,'so as to contact the leg of the wearer;

As shown in FIG. 2, a wide outwardly turned welt B may extend from broken line G, where the welt is closed, to the top of the stocking D' Depending upon the .width of the we B; and upon the width of the fabric 'that must be-provided withela'stic yarn F to ensure support of the stockingon the leg of a wearer, the elastic yarn F may be incorporated into all courses of the inner fabric layer D of the welt,as shown in FIG. 1,

or into only certain courses thereof, for example, every second or third course,or some other selection of'courthe intervening wales. Similarly, elastic yarn F'may be incorporated into the boot portion S or S" of the stocking, below the welts A orB, respectively.

In the embodiment of FIG. 3, non-slip elastic yarn F is bound into spaced wales, and floated across the inter vening wales, of selected courses of the inner fabric layer D of the welt, but is omitted from the intermediate zone Z. Thus, two spaced, upper and lower, annular fabric bands or portions are provided adjacent the open end of the stocking. This construction ensures that the welt will be non-rolling, by providing an area in which no compression is exerted on the leg. Hence, folding over of the upper portion of the welt from the top of the stocking D" to the zone Z is avoided. In this embodiment, when a narrow welt of the type indicated by A in FIG. 2 is provided, the welt is closed along a line or course indicated at X in FIG. 3. In such construc'tion, the lower annular elastic fabric portion is disposed in the upper portion of the boot S of the stocking. Where a large welt is employed, of the type designated B in FIG. 2, the welt is closed along the line indicated at X, in which event both of the spaced annular elastic fabric bands are disposed in the inner fabric layer of the welt.

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 each show the inner side of the stocking fabric and the floats of the elastic yarn F which contact the leg of the wearer. FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 show alternative methods of incorporating or binding the elastic yarn F in spaced wales of selected courses of the fabric, with the yarn floated across the wales intervening between the spaced wales.

In FIG. 4, the elastic yarn is knitted in spaced wales together with the non-elastic yarn, whereas in FIG. 5 the elastic yarn is knitted in spaced wales of courses which do not contain non-elastic yarn. In FIG. 6, the elastic yarn is interlaced in spaced wales and floated across the intervening wales.

We claim:

l. A full-length self-supporting knitted lady's stocking having at its open end an outwardly turned, non-rolling welt, said welt having an inner fabric layer and an outer fabric layer, said stocking having,-.

a. non-slip elastic yarn bound into spaced wales and floatedacross the intervening'wales of selected courses of wale-wise spaced upper and lower annular fabric portions proximate the open end of the stocking,

. said floated elastic yarn providing non-slip yarn floats disposed internally of the stocking to contact the leg of a wearer of the stocking,

c. an intermediate zone of fabric disposed between the two spaced annular fabric portions,

d. said intermediate zone of fabric being without elastic yarn, whereby the welt of the stocking is rendered non-rolling, and

e. at least the upper annular fabric portion being disposed within the inner fabric layer of the welt,

f. the outer fabric layer being without elastic yarn.

2. The stocking of claim 1 wherein the non-slip elastic yarn is knit into the spaced wales and floated across the intervening wales.

3. The stocking of claim 2 wherein the non-slip elastic yarn is knit with a non-elastic yarn into the spaced wales in the upper and lower annular fabric portion.

4. The stocking of claim 1 wherein the non-slip elastic yarn is interlaced in the spaced wales.

5. The stocking of claim 1 wherein both annular fabric portions are disposed within the inner fabric layer of the welt. 

1. A full-length self-supporting knitted lady''s stocking having at its open end an outwardly turned, non-rolling welt, said welt having an inner fabric layer and an outer fabric layer, said stocking having, a. non-slip elastic yarn bound into spaced wales and floated across the intervening wales of selected courses of wale-wise spaced upper and lower annular fabric portions proximate the open end of the stocking, b. said floated elastic yarn providing non-slip yarn floats disposed internally of the stocking to contact the leg of a wearer of the stocking, c. an intermediate zone of fabric disposed between the two spaced annular fabric portions, d. said intermediate zone of fabric being without elastic yarn, whereby the welt of the stocking is rendered non-rolling, and e. at least the upper annular fabric portion being disposed within the inner fabric layer of the welt, f. the outer fabric layer being without elastic yarn.
 2. The stocking of claim 1 wherein the non-slip elastic yarn is knit into the spaced wales and floated across the intervening wales.
 3. The stocking of claim 2 wherein the non-slip elastic yarn is knit with a non-elastic yarn into the spaced wales in the upper and lower annular fabric portion.
 4. The stocking of claim 1 wherein the non-slip elastic yarn is interlaced in the spaced wales.
 5. The stocking of claim 1 wherein both annular fabric portions are disposed within the inner fabric layer of the welt. 